Update from HX-21 / MH-60 Test Community LCDR Justin “Street Meat” Langan, USN

Update from HX-21 / MH-60 Test Community

By LCDR Justin “Street Meat” Langan, USN

My intentions are three-fold: communicate the improvements of SysConfig18 and future capabilities of SysConfig20 (expected early 2022), provide details on how to effect change in the H-60, and put in a shameless recruiting plug for future test pilots by explaining HX-21’s role in Naval Aviation.

SysConfig 18 (SC18) for MH-60R/S

The long-awaited and highly anticipated SC18 is finally hitting the Fleet… By now, some operators have already experienced the new functionality, but below is a summary of several SC18 highlights. If you would like to find training information pertaining to these additions, please contact your Wing Training Officers.

♦ VOR/ILS Capability for the MH-60R (H/W dependent)

♦ Multi-Helo AMP Dip Patterns for up to 4 MH-60Rs /

AMP Live

♦ DAFIF Auto-Tuning for Radios / NAVAIDS

♦ ADS-B

♦ L16 EW Messages

♦ MTS Elevation Slewing

♦ CDU Shortcuts for ATAK, ESM, FLIR, ACST, and ASE Display Modes

♦ TACAN Tracks

♦ Rocket Sim Mode for DRL/APKWS

♦ ASW Sim Mode

♦ ALFS Data Displayed on the Hover Mode

♦ Decreased Number of Nuisance Fuel Low Master Caution Alerts

♦ Updates to Acoustics / ESM / Data Fusion / L16 / Datalink / ADTS recording / JMPS

Testing of SC18 consisted of 66 sorties and 184 flight hours over a period of four years with hundreds of lab and ground testing hours in Pax River, MD at HX-21 and Owego, NY at Lockheed Martin. Initially thought to be the last software update in the MH-60 lifetime, it was the single largest software release in program history. Many challenges were experienced during the SC18 rollout including the expansive scope of the release, testing with new aircraft hardware, and incorporating new software releases for supporting components including ADTS / MTS / IMDS / JMPS. In addition, SC18 involved a large programmatic coordination effort from multiple civilian contractors and multiple program offices. We overcame these challenges with joint efforts from HX-21, VX-1, PMA-299, and Lockheed Martin.

What to look forward to in SysConfig 20 (SC20) in early 2022

DAFF AutoTuning for Radios/ NAVAIDS

Because of the continued success of the H-60 and lessons learned from SC18, a desire arose to improve capability through incremental hardware and software releases, which led to SC20. In SC20, operators can expect the following functionality:

♦ Active Radio Indications

♦ Radio Scan

♦ Barometric Altimeter Low Altitude Alerts

♦ Enhanced Fuel and Power Management (EFPM)

♦ TOT / Jet Log Flight Plan Table

♦ DVE Mode

♦ Target Attack Menu

♦ Wind Calculation Changes / Manual Wind Entry

♦ Updates to Radar / ESM / Acoustics / JMPS

This effort is already well underway including testing new mission computers with Intel processors for added processing capability. Your idea for an enhancement/fix can become a reality.

SysConfig releases are planned periodically. Therefore, if there are improvements that you as a Fleet operator would like to see, writing a Software Trouble Report (STR) and submitting it to PMA-299 (https://pma299.navair.navy. mil) is the first step in getting that fix implemented in an upcoming release. Fleet operators will then evaluate these requested fixes/enhancements at a Software Naval Aviation Requirements Group (SNARG) and rank them in accordance with their priority. PMA-299 will then pursue funding for STRs and Program Trouble Reports (PTRs) for inclusion into future SysConfigs. An engineer will create the STR/ PTR Prototype and will brief the Fleet operators and the Program Office at Crew Systems Working Group (CSWGs).

• What mission is your STR designed to impact? Are there any other missions this fix could impact? We need to make sure that one fix in one area doesn’t create a problem in a different area.

• How do you want this system to function in a degraded status, if at all?

• Any related HAZREPs, MISHAP Reports, Safety System Working Group inputs which could support the required change.

Once fine-tuned, the functionality will then be included in an initial software release. The ideal software release progression would start with an -01 release, which is an initial engineering build. The -02 release is designed to include any last “new” functionality as well as solutions to early design issues. The -03 and final -04 releases are to capture any important fixes from previous -01 and -02 releases found during Contractor, Developmental, and Operational test events. The -04 release is designed as the full Fleet release along with any associated WRA software, publications, and procedures. This process is repeated with every SysConfig release. In order to streamline this process and ensure your ideas are clearly communicated to the Program Office / test community it is important to ensure that STRs follow the below guidelines:

• Whether an enhancement or a fix…the more specific the better. If ambiguous, your ideas will likely get interpreted differently than how you imagined.

• How often have you encountered this issue? What was the environmental information? This information is relevant to determine if the issue you encountered was due to hardware, software, electrical wiring in a specific aircraft, or even cyber.

• What mission is your STR designed to impact? Are there any other missions this fix could impact? We need to make sure that one fix in one area doesn’t create a problem in a different area.

• How do you want this system to function in a degraded status, if at all?

• Any related HAZREPs, MISHAP Reports, Safety System Working Group inputs which could support the required change.

What is HX-21’s role and why should you join Test?

At HX-21, we plan, execute, and report on ground and flight-testing for new aircraft equipment and systems. The MH-60 Test Team is just one of 5 test teams that comprise HX-21. We also have teams dedicated to flight testing the CMV-22B/MV22B, CH-53K/CH-53E, AH-1Z/UH-1Y, and even a Presidential Team that tests the VH-92A, VH- 60N, and VH-3N.

Tasking for the MH-60R and MH-60S most often comes from PMA-299 but can also come from other program offices. In order to accomplish our tasking, we work together as a team of Project Officers, Project Engineers, and Aircrew to conduct coordinated testing with contractors such as Lockheed Martin and operational testing with VX-1 and Fleet Operators. Project Officers are post-first-tour pilots who have graduated from Test Pilot School (TPS) and the Project Engineers are civilian flight test professionals from NAVAIR or other supporting agencies.

Once we get a requirement for testing, we ensure that the systems achieve the desired mission objective. If not, we write Deficiency Reports (DRs) in order to correct the functionality to improve safety of flight, mission effectiveness, maintenance readiness, or operator workload. Once testing is complete, we convey HX’s test methodology, results, and recommendations to stakeholders in the form of Interim Summary Reports (ISRs) or Report of Test Results (RTRs). We also work with Class Desks to document new functionality in the NTRP / NATOPS.

Flying an aircraft such as the MH-60 with the selfproclaimed title “jack of all trades” is a benefit to the user and challenge to the tester. That means the helicopter is capable of completing a multitude of tasks, however, there is often a balance between being great at a small number of tasks and being good at all of them. For example, if there is a requirement for a helicopter to travel 400 NM and remain on station for 4 hours, that helicopter will most likely not be the most agile helicopter in a close air support (CAS) mission. There are different tradeoffs between having the optimal rotor blades / fuel and weight capacity / seating configurations and performance and handling qualities etc.

The majority of testing is now systems testing because the MH-60 has been fielded for 15+ years, however, many exciting opportunities for testing exist in the future at HX- 21. Future test efforts include various stores carriage and separation testing, dynamic interface testing to determine ship-aircraft wind envelopes, and engine performance testing with new 401D engines.

I almost forgot to mention that as a tester you get to fly some remarkable machines. Since the beginning of TPS (I completed Empire Test Pilot School in Wiltshire, England) through my time at HX, I have flown over 10 different models of helicopters including the Apache AH1, Eurocopter Tiger, AH-1Z Viper, Gazelle HT3, and the Airbus H125 as well as a passenger plane (Avro RJ100) and a jet (BAE Systems Hawk). I have taken a helicopter up to 18,500 ft with a parachute strapped to my back, conducted full engine-off landings as a part of avoid curve demonstrations, conducted confined area landings in the snow-clad French Alps, and participated in Top Owl Helmet Mounted Display (HUD) demonstrations in Amsterdam.

If you want to continue to fly, have an engineering inclination, and are interested in flight test as a pilot or aircrew, please contact me at justin.langan@navy.mil or visit https://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/usntps.

Editor's Note Images below show LCDR Langan in several of the aircraft he flew in his test pilot training while at Empire Test Pilot School in Boscombe Down, England. Author's personal photos 2018

Author next to an Apache AH1 after conducting a qualitative evaluation flight at the Army Aviation Centre Middle Wallop in England

Author next to a Eurocopter Tiger in a hangar at the Valence-Chabeuil Airport in France

Author in a Gazelle HT3 cockpit. In the Gazelle he used supplemental oxygen and a parachute for high-altitude testing